Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-24

ity, young girl, betrayed and deserted by
her lover had drowned herself in the Tough
some wears before the time of which | write:
and the lover himself, having with tardy
repentance joined eagerly in the efforts
made for the recovery of the body,
was himself drowned also in the same
spot, and in the presence of many of his neigh
bors, who We're unable to rescue him, and
who only succeeded in recovering the two
corpses several days afterwards. There was
"wise woman" living in little cabin on the
outskirts Of Athlone, who, when she heard OF
the occurrence, mumbled something in Irish,
and then informed her awe struck listeners
that she had had revelation, and had learned
that the pool was under a spell, and would
infaIliby cause the death of the enemy of
any one who had the courage to drown him
self therein, repeating the name of the man
ne would doom as the black water silenced
his lips forever.
OBrien and his SONS were more Stunned
than ever after the event just related; but
when the old man died and it was found that
h. had left the whole of his small possessions TO
his eldest son Patrick, and that Turlough was
quite unprovided for, popular opinion veered
round and sat in strongly in favor of the
Younger brother, all the dislike due to him
being added to the share of Patrick.
From what Peter told me of the latter
man, do not think he deserved the op-
p ohrinm which fell upon him; he seems
to have been kind enough to Turlough.
giving him share of his house and of
the proceeds of the land; though declin-
ing, perhaps wisely enough, to make them
over to him by legal document Tur ough
said little, lived in apparent frien lship
with his brnihpr- and hided his time. Ii
came earlier thin he eXb ctcd
~ Patrick. like Innsr Wrslmeath men at
that date, was innrsuah Fenian heart
and managed 10 get greatly involved in
he plots which led to that most abor-
tive attempt at a rebellion, in which
tue government appears TO have known
quite as much as the conspirators
themselves of the secret councils of the
latter AS natural consequence, Patrick
was WANTED and equally a matter
of course, he was not to be found
by the police who invaded his domi-
cile No one WIS there but Turlough, who
was pnlitenesS itself, gave them a glass of
whisky all round, and showed them with
some pride deed of gift from Patrick
which, m due legal form, made over to his
brother Turlough the formers interest in
the farm. Clearly, nothing was to be done
and the disappointed police had nothing for
it but to return to barracks.
In what part of ireland Patrick lay hidden
during the years that followed Peter could
not tell me, hut ii was on a spring day in
1870 that he came again, attended by certain
friends of his us witnesses, to claim back the
deed OF gift from his brother. The seven
DAYS wonder had passed, ireland was quieter
than usual. and there was no more talk of
prosecuting ex Feuians. The farm had only
been made over to TurOugh that he might
manage it till better times came, and that
there might be no danger of coEfiscation
What could be simpler than that the rightful
owner should now reclaim possession. But
he had reckoned without his brother Tur-
Tough sat mmoved by the passionate in
vective that was poured upon him, and
stolidly reiterated his assertion that he
had given Patrick full value for the
farm, and had no intention whatever of
giving it up Words ran high, and doubt
less blows would have followed, had not
Turlough at last produced an American re-
volver from his pocket, and threatened to
shoot every man in the house-his house-if
they did not at once leave it. Against such
practical argument there was nothing to be
| urged, and the men left the hut, carrying
with them the frantic Patrick, mad with
rage and fired with a true Irish thirst for
| revenge.
| Their road home lay by Tough Galliagh
As they neared it Patrick broke away from
his friends, rushed across the quaking Devils
| Scraugh, and plunged into the peaty water
| with a scream of his brothers name, mingled
with a ban. The party he had left stood still
a moment in horror and then hurried eau
tiouslv toward the margin of the pool But
| the desperate mau never rose again. Some
| thought that lie must actually have swum
under water till he was beneath the Scraugh,
80 as TO render resrue impossible and make
| SURE of the anatheHa.
| From that time forth no living man, could
| he avoid It, would approach Tough Gaiiagh
| or speak word to TurlOugh O'Brien. The
| latter WAS cHt off from all human companion
| ship, and driven To subsist on the potatoes he
| grew on his farm and the milk of COW
which be kept there. Whether his terrihl~
| penance did him good or not, Peter coz a not
say, hut I hoped it had done SO. A man
whose heart was wholly bad would have left
me to perish in the sCraugh
| No one had dared to attempt the finding of
| the CORPSE Of Patrick O'Brien; but. almost
daily for years past. Turlough had been seen
! working with his Craip here and there along
| the margin of the lou@h and in the DEVILS
| Scraugh iispIf, 50 the probability was that he
was endeavorIng to find his brothers body
| whether hope of avoiding the ban pro-
| nounced on the pool, or with the better OBJ
| lect Of giving Christian burial to the remains
| of his victim, no one could say, though, of
| course, the peasamtry inclined to the former
| belief. No doubt | had met with my acci-
dent in one Of the holes he had dug in the
| scraugh, which had had time to cover itself
| with treacherOus layer of weed The pop
ular opinion was that Turlough himself
would some day be drowned in such a hole,
| and thus fulfill the weird of the wise
woman"
We reached Athlone that evening long after
| dark, but in safety, to Peters great surprise
| and self congratulation. He had been
thoroughly frightened by finding himself in
proximity to the dreaded spot, and for some
time afterward boosted less than usual of his
knowledge of every hole and corner in the
boys from Moate to Athlone."
am an Irishman by birth and education
| and have heard many weird stories in my
native land but seldom one which impressed
me so much as that which Peter had told me-
1t kept my mind busy and my body wakeful
that night till far into the small hours. did
not know which 70 pity the most-the desper-
ate man hurrying into the presence Of his
maker with anathemas on his lips and pur
pose of vengeance in his heart, or the living
one who ''dreed his weird,n solitary amongst
his fellows, unhelped and unpitied bysthem-
Ere morning | had resolved that, SO far as |
was concerned, the matter should not rest
there, but that would at once pay Turlough
OBrien visit, express my gratitude to him
better than l bad been able to 90 it in the
hurry of the moment, and try to help him,
at least by sympathy, if in no other way. He
had refused to accept the money; but he
could scarcely decline few articles, of use to
a man in his circumstances, if brought to
him as present and not as a reward, and
| these might be my excuse for intruding upon
him. Truth to tell, was rather doubtful as
to the reception / might meet with ut the
farm.
Man proposes, and God disposes" 1t is a
trite saying, but a practical one. When |
rose in the morning l saw the sky covered
from zenith to horizon by a leaden pail of
cloud, whence descended an unbroken torrent
of rain, turning the streets to rivers of mud,